A half-dozen F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets have arrived in Turkey to help conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State.
The six Boeing Co.-made aircraft from the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom landed at the base around 4 p.m. local time Thursday, according to the U.S. Air Force.
The planes will join a growing fleet of American aircraft at Incirlik, which is located near the south-central city of Adene near the Mediterranean Sea, including a half-dozen F-15C Eagles and a dozen A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.
The U.S. warplanes will conduct missions against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, also known as ISIL. The A-10 gunship, known as the Warthog, has been particularly effective.
A spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the name of the U.S. military’s mission against ISIS, described as “devastating” recent attacks conducted by the A-10 and AC-130 Spectre gunships against ISIS in support of Syrian-Arab fighters on the ground in northern Syria.
The U.S. fighters also may also help guard against incursions into Turkish air space by Russian aircraft that are also operating in the region. The Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions in all weather conditions.
Check out video of the aircraft arriving at Incirlik below or by clicking on this link:
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